Bill Becher's City Islanders (2-4-1 overall, 1-4-1 in league play) are squaring off against visiting Dayton (3-3-2 overall, 2-3-2 in league play) for the second time in four weeks at Skyline. Sid van Druenen's Dutch Lions claimed the first meeting 1-0 on April 19, using Aaron Schoenfeld's first-half penalty kick and five saves from Matt Williams to bounce out with the road result. Harrisburg and Dayton will meet two more times, with the City Islanders traveling to western Ohio on July 12 and again on Aug. 2.

Making his first 2014 appearance on Wednesday night, Brian Sylvestre backstopped the Harrisburg City Islanders to a 4-0 win over F.C. Lehigh Valley United Sonic.PennLive.com files

Harrisburg's last USL PRO outing occurred last Saturday night, as the City Islanders dropped a 1-0 verdict at Skyline to Arizona United. Former Harrisburg forward Brandon Swartzendruber bagged the game's lone goal on a first-half penalty kick and keeper Evan Newton preserved the clean sheet by making three saves for United. Nick Noble finished with one stop for the City Islanders. ...

Dayton prevailed in its Open Cup outing Wednesday on the road, prevailing 2-0 over Illinois-based amateur club Schwaben A.C. Eli Garner and Jesjua Angoy-Cruyff authored finishes for the Dutch Lions, who led 1-0 at the break. ...

In the midst of a month-long, four-game league homestand, the City Islanders enter today's contest carrying a two-game losing streak and hoping to end a nagging winless skid (0-3-0) at Skyline. Becher's club also is looking to find the back of the net at home for the first time in 2014.

Cristhian Hernandez, Robbie Derschang and Morgan Langley, who have bagged one goal apiece, are tied for the team lead in scoring with two points apiece. Harrisburg also has picked up one assist from Yann Ekra and Pettis. All of those numbers have been accrued in league play.

Out the past three league games with a knee injury, Cristhian Hernandez could play today against Dayton.PennLive.com files

Noble has gone the distance in all six games, fashioning a 1-4-1 mark, 1.833 goals-against average and 21 saves thus far. The 29-year-old, Harrisburg's all-time leader in shutouts with 14, has pitched one clean sheet.

Hernandez (knee) has missed the last two games, but could play today. Center backs Pedro Ribeiro (hamstring) and Coady Andrews (ankle) remain out, while Derschang (hamstring) also is expected to miss today's game.

While the City Islanders enter today's game as USL PRO's lowest-scoring team, Dayton and Wilmington have pocketed just five finishes each and sit right in front of Harrisburg in that forgettable statistical category.

Schoenfeld leads the Dutch Lions with four points on a pair of goals — both came on penalty kicks — while Garner, Brock Granger and Joseph Broekhuizen have netted Dayton's other goals. Joel DeLass, Ross Friedman and Shane Smith have posted one point apiece, each on assists.

Williams has logged every minute in goal thus far, fashioning a 2-3-2 record with 29 saves and a 1.714 GAA. A teammate of Harrisburg's Matt Bahner at the University of Cincinnati, Williams has pitched a pair of shutouts.

City Islanders head coach Bill Becher is hopeful his club can end its three-game losing streak at home on Saturday afternoon against Dayton.PennLive.com files

Dayton arrived in Pennsylvania's capital city with a minus-7 goal differential — van Druenen's club is 2-1-0 away from home — but just a minus-1 on the road.

THEY SAID IT

Becher on Wednesday's Open Cup success and how the City Islanders need to use that victory positively as they return to USL PRO play: "It was a big win for us, but we know it got us nothing in the league standings. We have to start making some noise in the league — and that starts Saturday. We've got to go and get a result on Saturday. We know Dayton's a good team. They came in here and beat us earlier in the season and it's not going to be easy by any stretch of the imagination. We know what we're capable of now and I think that did give us some confidence to score some goals. We just have to go and bring that confidence on Saturday afternoon."

Becher on the importance of getting a positive result since the City Islanders won't play their next league game until May 31: "If you don't get a result on Saturday, then you're thinking about it for two more weeks. If you get this result on Saturday, you've won two in a row and I think your mindset's a lot better. We had a good day of practice [Friday] and I think the guys are ready to go out there Saturay and get us going in the right direction."

While the City Islanders will close out their four-game league homestand on May 31 against Richmond, Harrisburg will have a second straight road encounter in the U.S. Open Cup on May 28 against the Premier Development League's Baltimore Bohemians at Calvert Hall High School in Towson.